You're a Mother Church member, and perhaps a longtime branch church member. You find the Bible a constant source of spiritual light. You're actively studying Science and Health and other writings by Mrs. Eddy. You're praying daily and can really feel your new growth blooming. You would like so much to help others with the understanding that has come to you ....
Writing for the periodicals presents an active challenge for every Christian Scientist. It's certainly worth serious consideration. Questions pop up like: What will I write about? Will it be a poem, an article, a testimony? How shall I begin? Questions like these and more are answered basically through prayer. The Christian Science Publishing Society will furnish information on simple mechanics for manuscripts and some added pointers, but the rest is an individual demonstration. Often much time and effort go into even the writing of one short poem that meets the standard.
There are many reasons why a manuscript is returned: abstractness, dullness, a lack of thrust or sharp focus, insufficient depth or clarity. The Editors are always eager to help and to encourage an author whenever they see promise in a contribution. Our work is to listen to Mind and search thought (really put the spotlight on it) to help detect the perhaps latent errors that need ejection—errors that may be impeding our communication, blocking our clarity. Writing is often hard work. The willingness to persevere happily, in spite of apparent challenges, is evidence of the Christ at work in our consciousness.
